Oyo State Police Command have launched a manhunt for gunmen who abducted three people, including two employees of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, CRIN, at its facility in Idi Ayunre, Ibadan.
The victims were kidnapped on Thursday, October 8, while carrying out activities within the institute’s premises in the Oluyole Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, confirmed the incident on Friday, saying the victims were abducted while inspecting crops on a farm within the institute.
He said the command immediately commenced intensive operations to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible for the abduction.
He also said security operatives have launched a manhunt, while efforts are ongoing to secure the victims’ safe return and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The police also appealed to members of the public with credible information that could assist the operation to report to the nearest police station or contact the command through its established emergency channels.
Meanwhile, reports by Vanguard and Nigerian Tribune identified two of the victims as Eunice Babalola, head of CRIN’s Central Nursery, and Kehinde Gbalajobi, an agricultural superintendent.
The third victim is a man who resides in the institute’s Senior Staff Quarters but is not an employee of CRIN.
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The reports indicated that Babalola and Gbalajobi were abducted while walking from the Central Nursery towards the Senior Staff Quarters, where Babalola intended to collect some items from her residence.
Their driver was reportedly expected to pick them up at the quarters while returning to the institute’s main office with other nursery workers.
The gunmen also reportedly attempted to abduct additional people at the Central Nursery but were repelled by security personnel following an exchange of gunfire.
Vanguard and Nigerian Tribune further reported that the kidnappers had contacted the victims’ relatives and demanded a ransom of ₦120 million for their release.
The police statement did not confirm the reported ransom demand.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about the safety of workers and residents within the institute, particularly as the facility has experienced previous abductions.
In March 2026, three members of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria were abducted from the institute’s nursery section while visiting to collect cocoa seedlings.
They were subsequently released, with CRIN later reporting that a ransom was paid.
The latest incident has renewed calls for stronger security measures to protect workers and visitors carrying out agricultural and research activities within the institute.
The Oyo State Police Command has assured the public that efforts to rescue the victims and arrest the perpetrators are ongoing.
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